White Choc Mud Uncheesecake

I did this video a couple of weeks ago, back when it was still winter. It is now Spring and today I got sunburnt. The weather is a dream. But here is what I wrote when I made it:

It was another beautiful summer - oops! I meant winter's day in Queensland. Between building my chook coop and other projects I decided to make the family my spin on a cheesecake. Of course don't expect it to taste exactly the same. This one is yummy in it's own right, containing no actual cheese. The lime gives it that cheesecakey tang.

I blew up my blender in the process, and the dates were slightly frozen (they are yummy and chewy when frozen), hence why I used the mortar and pestle to give them some squish. Times like these a thermomix would be great (tell her she's dreaming).

The music is reminiscent of hazy summers in every Aussie backyard, while dad mows the lawn and the smell of fresh cut grass gives us all a natural high. Thanks to Steve for the great job filming and editing. He's a dream.
How to make the cake:
Base
1 cup dates
1 cup activated almonds or fresh raw macadamias
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
Top
2 cups raw cashews soaked 24 hours
Seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean
Juice of one lime, and half the grated rind
1/4 cup cold pressed coconut oil
1/4 cup raw cacao butter
2 tbs raw honey

Method:
Use a food processor to chop the dates and nuts (I had activated them by soaking 24 hours in spring water and then dehydrating them overnight in the dehydrator), add cacao nibs and it is done. Or alternatively do it by hand, like I did. Cut a round of silicone coated baking paper and spinkle generously the coconut on it as this will help it to come out easily. Press the sticky mix on top.

Puree all the other ingredients in a blender. Preferably a strong blender! Give it frequent rests if it is a bit el cheapo so you don't blow up the motor.
To melt the coconut oil and/or cacao butter, use water under 45 degrees so that it doesn't destroy all the healthful raw properties. Tap water in Australia is required by councils to be less than 50 degrees celcius. So a slightly cooled bowl of "hot" tap water with a thin plastic container of shaved cacao butter floating on top should do the trick. Try not to use plastic too often, some plastics leach toxic chemicals... Actually they all probably do but some grades of plastic more than others. (Number "5" in a triangle is the worst, "1" is ok. Google it to find out more).

Use a spatula to put the topping on and refrigerate for a few hours. The longer the better. Get a lock for the door of your fridge and keep the key handy or you might find your hubby and son into it before you had let it firm up as many hours as you would have liked... Like I did...
It should come away easily. Run a sharp knife around the edge first. Cut and serve maybe using an egg flipper to scoop it out.

:0) Enjoy!

Magic Apple Orange Cake

CAKE:

8 eggs, beaten
3 oranges (juice and rind)
1/6 cup green Stevia powder
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 cups dessicated coconut
1 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup organic maize flour
1 passionfruit
1/2 cup melted coconut oil, lukewarm
3 tsp bicarb soda

Preheat oven. Gas 175 degrees centigrade on centre shelf.
Mix beaten eggs, juice and 3 tsp rind in together.
Sift in fine, dry ingredients.
Mix in coarser ingredients.
Finally, add the coconut oil.
Pour into greased cake tin and cover with aluminium foil for around 30mins.
Remove foil without leaving oven door open long and leave until firm and dark golden.

ICING:

1 cup cold pressed coconut oil
Orange rind, to taste
2 tabs raw honey

Get the oil to a mushy texture (it will go hard in cold or runny in warm, but try not to heat above 45 degrees celcius or it kills all the good things in the oil which is anti bacterial, antimicrobial and lots of anti things). Mix with the rind and honey and cover the cake when it has COOLED. Do not apply to warm cake or it will melt and won't look pretty and icing like. Tastes sooo yummy this stuff...

This cake does not actually contain Apples, but is so named after my fave vegetarian restaurant, because this cake reminds me of it. I was really impressed by the texture of this grain free cake (it does have some corn flour - is corn a grain?) Anyway, it is yummy and low GI too. I used Stevia as the main sweetener. Green stevia powder is a wholefood and essentially raw because it is just dehydrated Stevia herb all ground up. It is about 10 times sweeter than sugar but has a Glycemic Index of 0. Which means it won't give you a sugar high and mess with your pancreas/ insulin levels or be converted into fat in your body. Don't confuse it with processed Stevia, which I won't eat because it is so processed it is bound to be terribly bad for you...

Rustic Spaghetti

It is rainy, dreary and grey at the moment... It's winter. Time for warming foods. This is the way we make spaghetti at our house. It is hearty and earthy. I just love it! It is also grain free. Considering we eat organic and the meat is not cheap, the lentils not only add a rustic and cottagey vibe to this spag (is it possible for spaghetti to be cottagey? I think so!) but it is cost effective!

I love the Arrabbiata sauce, with a note of chili, and the rosemary and eggplant just make it filling and nice :)

You can add grated zucchini or any other veggies. For a variation, try mince lamb instead, with thyme instead of rosemary. This can be served on top of roasted eggplants that have had the insides dug out and put in the bolognese mix. Then I fry sprouted bread in a lil olive oil and butter with garlic and thyme and sprinkle on top. Very Grecian. YUM! <3




INGREDIENTS:

250g mince beef
1 onion, chopped
1 aubergine, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 large carrot, grated
1 vegetable stock cube ('Massel')
1/2 cup red lentils, soaked
1/2 cup black lentils, soaked
1 sprig of rosemary
Organic 'Arrabbiata' pasta sauce ('Spiral Foods')
Organic Black Bean spaghetti pasta ('Explore Asian Authentic Cuisine')
Distilled water - about 3 glasses

Heat a lil olive oil and fry some onion until golden, add mince and once browning, add aubergine (eggplant). Then add carrots or other veg. Add pasta sauce, maybe a lil extra chili if you feel like some extra warmth. Add the lentils and half the water and cover, stirring from time to time. After about 10mins, get tap water boiling for the pasta. At the same time add some more water to the bolognese, tomato and rosemary. Once plentiful water is bought to the boil in a large saucepan, add the blackbean spaghetti and boil for 8 mins until al dente. Serve and EAT! :D

Weaving and working in our backyard

Hubby got home yesterday and wanted to try out his new 7D video camera. I was busy weaving a Moses basket from sea grasses in the backyard, while Asher was busy "working" as usual. Suvi was snoozing but came and joined us for some mummy milk.

This is what dh came up with. What a clever man! <3

Dog Poo Balls

After doing the housework we headed out to The Natural Foodstore (awesomeness) to do the shopping, but on the way remembered that the markets were on at The Big Pineapple, so we headed over for a look-see. After lots of fun and excitement we headed to NFS again and found it was super packed with busy shoppers.

I waited in line with Asher lying on the floor tired and collecting dried ginger sweets from the beneath the bulk bins (the same floor that left his feet and knees black lol!). Then I realised that I had forgotten to get the water bottle filled with spring water, which necessitated another long wait in line. The ladies commented how calm I seemed which was a nice compliment. I was having fun :)

The next day was Mother's Day, and Asher and I had a ball making Dog Poo Balls, one of our fave treats while Stoinkey just poinked around being cute and getting lots of hugs and kisses and showering us with the usual smiles <3 LOVE!

Cambodian Food

Life with a 3 1/2 month old baby and a 3 3/4 year old boy is always busy. Here we are having lots of fun preparing Cambodian food so that it was ready to go quickly once our friends arrived for dinner.

The inspiration comes from a Cambodian cookbook called "Food for the Soul". Funds from sales go to orphans in Cambodia. I rarely cook exactly to recipe, and that is the purpose of this blog: To give others ideas and inspiration that will work in their own kitchens.

Thanks to The Bent Banana and The White Magnolia florist for letting me film in their shops.

Enjoy! :)